YuruYuri: Not Your Average Love Story
by Violet Chloe Snow
Summary: What would have happened if time actually moved in the YuruYuri universe? If all the characters kept living their lives after entering high school? How would they interact with one another? What would change between them, and what would stay the same? Features the entire cast, not just Akari and Chinatsu. I do not own YuruYuri or any of the associated characters.
1. Chapter 1: Rejection and the King's Game

Akari struggled to calm down as she nervously glanced around the empty schoolyard, the shade of the tree providing minimal protection from the overbearing sun. "She should be here any minute now…"

"Sorry I'm late! Have you been waiting long, Akari-chan?" Akari felt her heartbeat quicken as she turned to face Chinatsu, forcing a smile despite her nervousness.

"Ah, don't worry about it. You're only late by a few minutes."

"Thank goodness. One of the teachers needed my help, so I was really worried about being late." Chinatsu let out a relieved sigh before looking at Akari curiously, her hands clasped behind her back where she was holding her bag. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Right." Akari felt her throat tighten, and for a moment she was worried she might not be able to say it after all, but she couldn't back down. Not after calling Chinatsu out here like this. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before finally finding the courage to speak up. "Chinatsu-chan I…I'm in love with you!"

"Huh…?" Chinatsu seemed like she was having trouble registering what Akari just said, but she couldn't stop now. She'd already gone this far, so she had to go through with it.

"Every second that we're apart, all I can think about is you, how much I want to be back together with you again, and how badly it hurts to be apart from you. Whenever I see you with anyone else, I get this awful feeling, even though I know I shouldn't and I…" Akari's will finally started to falter and as she finally noticed the warmth on her cheeks, she realized she had started crying at some point.

"Akari-chan…" Chinatsu couldn't meet her best friend's eyes as she turned her gaze downwards, struggling with what she had to say next. "I'm sorry…" She was worried that she'd end up all alone again, that after hurting Akari so badly, she wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore; but at the same time, she couldn't accept Akari's feelings. "I…"

"I know." Akari interrupted Chinatsu before she could finish that sentence, flashing the same warm smile as always. Usually, that smile made Chinatsu relax, but paired with her tears; it just made Chinatsu feel sick. Knowing that she was the cause made it all the worse. "I know…you love Yui-senpai…I just couldn't hold it back anymore. You can…forget this happened…and we can just…go back to being friends, okay?" Akari struggled to get the words out. "I forgot that I need to head back early today." She turned on her heel as she started to run away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Aka-…" Chinatsu started to reach out to her, but she held back at the last possible second as she remembered she was the one that hurt Akari. She couldn't possibly be the one to comfort her. She was silent as she watched Akari run out of the school yard, before finally shifting her gaze back to the ground once she was out of sight. "I did what was right…I can't return her feelings, and it wouldn't be right to lead her on…so why does it feel like I've done something wrong?"

* * *

Akari gasped and jerked upright as she woke, trying to catch her breath and calm her rapidly beating heart. She didn't need to check to know her cheeks were wet with tears. Whenever she had that dream, she always cried. "Dream…?" She felt an uncomfortable pain spread throughout her chest as she remembered something important. It was a memory, not a dream.

"Well…it's not like I expected anything else." There was a sad smile on her face as she forced herself to get up and start getting ready. _After all, why would she ever want someone like me…?_ Four months had passed since her confession, and today would mark one month since they began high school. She didn't have time to be depressed, and besides, that wasn't what suited her. She was the always happy, always bright Akari. If she lost those qualities…then even the few friends she had might abandon her.

Even Chinatsu might…

"Ah, what am I thinking?" She slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of it. She had to be the same bright and happy Akari as always. Forcing those thoughts out of the way, she was quick to get ready as she headed downstairs, pausing to glance at her reflection as she grabbed her bag. Over the past few years, in addition to growing quite a bit taller, she'd also filled outwards quite nicely; and with her now much longer hair, she had stopped wearing her buns in favor of just letting her hair down.

On more than one occasion, Kyoko mentioned that Akari would actually be quite popular if it weren't for her lack of presence; but compared to the unique personalities of her new classmates, she stood out even less than she had back in middle school.

She smiled, checking her reflection to make sure it was the same bright smile as always, before stepping out the door. "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" Kyoko, Yui, and Ayano all said in quick succession with one another. This was probably one of the most surprising developments that had happened since their time in middle school, but all three of them had ended up in a relationship together. Akari was shocked when the three of them explained their situation to her on the first day of school.

Obviously, Akari wasn't the type of person to judge her friends for something like that. The way she saw it, as long as they were happy, then she was happy. Although, she would never admit it to anyone, but when she first learned Yui was in a relationship, she was overjoyed; but that happiness quickly turned to guilt the moment she saw that look on Chinatsu's face when they told her. _I really am an awful person sometimes._

"Shall we head to school?"

"Forward march!" Out of their group of friends, Kyoko had grown into the tallest, and the rest of her body had grown alongside it. Her curves weren't nearly as defined as Akari's, and at some point she had gotten into the habit of wearing her hair in a side braid.

"Geez. You're a high schooler now, so act like it, Kyoko." Yui let out an exasperated sigh at Kyoko's outburst, but she didn't seem nearly as upset with it as she would've been back in middle school, and Akari recognized a softness to her smile that wasn't present back then.

Between the three of them, Yui was the shortest, but the difference in height between her and Ayano was only noticeable when they were standing right next to one another. Yui was also the one that had changed the least, looking nearly identical to her time in middle school, aside from the extra height.

"Hey, Akari-chan…" Ayano paused to consider something, before making a decision and continuing with that line of thought. "…is something bothering you?" Akari hadn't been there to witness it herself, because the trio had kept their relationship a secret until Akari and the underclassmen had entered high school; but apparently Ayano had gotten more and more perceptive to these types of things after their relationship began and she got over her embarrassment with all things related to romance.

Ayano had switched over to a double ponytail at some point, and she was just slightly taller than Yui; while the rest of her body had developed nicely, with just a bit more definition than Kyoko's.

"Nope. Everything's perfectly fine as always." Akari said confidently, wearing her normal smile; but it must not have been very convincing because even Kyoko had come to a stop to give Akari a concerned glance.

"Akari…"

"Ayano's usually right about this type of thing." Yui said matter-of-factly, but unlike Ayano and Kyoko, she didn't seem like she was about to push the topic. "If you don't want to talk about it right now, that's fine. Just remember, we're your friends. Whenever you wanna talk about something…we'll always be here to listen." Despite the fact that Ayano and Kyoko were both still very clearly worried, they didn't press the issue any further as their girlfriend spoke; and in that way, it was clear that the three girls had matured for the better from their relationship.

"I know. But really I'm…" _Fine._ She wanted to say it, but the word got caught in her throat. She had even believed it to be true until she started to say it to the faces of three of her friends. "I'm not okay." She couldn't meet their eyes as she spoke in a low voice, barely more than a whisper. "But I'm not quite ready to talk about it yet..."

"Then we don't have to talk about it right now." Yui glanced at her phone as she said that before glancing over to the other two. "Actually, we need to hurry to school, or we'll be late."

"Hehe, gotcha!" Kyoko said as she grabbed Akari's wrist and rather forcefully pulled her along as she dashed off in the direction of their school.

"Still has no problem stringing everyone along in her wake." As Kyoko and Akari peaked over a hill, the smile on Ayano's face faded as she glanced over at Yui. "Is this really okay?"

"I think...it's probably not okay. It was pretty obvious that she's in pain, but we can't make her talk if she isn't ready. Trying to push the issue now will probably just make it worse." The pair decided to start catching up with the others as they resumed walking. "If we really start to get worried, we could always talk about it with Chinatsu-chan."

"I suppose she is Akari-chan's best friend…" Ayano let out a resigned sigh as she took a hold of Yui's hand, accepting that there was only so much that they could do. "I just wish there was something else we could do. I really hate feeling so helpless."

* * *

The Reformed Amusement Club (officially recognized as the Manga Club by the school) was hectic as always. Both the upperclassmen and the underclassmen had attempted to continue the activities of the Amusement Club after the upperclassmen graduated; so when the underclassmen joined them a year later, the two clubs merged as the Reformed Amusement Club.

Whereas the original Amusement Club had just been made up of Akari, Kyoko, Yui, and Chinatsu; the Reformed Amusement Club was made up of the four members of the original AC, Ayano, Sakurako, Himawari, Chitose, and Chizuru.

When they were all together like this, it really made the developments in their bodies all that much more obvious. No one was really surprised that Himawari had the best figure, but pretty much everyone had been surprised that Akari had developed into having the second best figure. For a few months, Sakurako had even considered Akari's growth a betrayal to their friendship.

Granted, after the two finally confessed to one another, Himawari and Sakurako finally stopped fighting all the time; and after mellowing out a bit, Sakurako forgave Akari for outgrowing her.

"So? What are we all doing here?" Chizuru spoke with an annoyed tone as she glared at Kyoko from across the table. The club met pretty much every day, but considering they actually spent some time fulfilling the club's actual purpose (which is, again, Manga); not every member attended every single day. Kyoko only called every member whenever she got fired up about one of her crazy ideas, and even Chizuru had long since given up trying to ignore her when she got into one of these moods.

"We're going to be playing the King's Game! Special Penalty Edition!" Kyoko shouted excitedly as she jumped up to her feet, a mischievous grin on her face. Usually, they tried to keep their volume relatively low, but not only was school already over; all the other clubs had already gone home for the day. Somehow, Kyoko had gotten permission for an overnight stay.

"I know what the King's Game is…" Himawari started to say.

"...but what's the 'Special Penalty Edition'?" Sakurako finished for her. The fact that they were doing it subconsciously made it all the worse, but they did this all the time ever since they'd started dating.

"Either of the numbers called out by the King can choose to refuse, and if they do, both numbers have to take the penalty." Kyoko found herself on the receiving end of glares from both Chizuru and Chinatsu.

"And just what kind of a penalty would we have to take?" The pinkette snapped as she clenched her fists. She didn't despise Kyoko anywhere near as much as she did back in middle school, when Kyoko was obsessed with her; but she still wasn't particularly fond of her.

"They have to take a shot of this." Kyoko said as she placed a bottle of something on the table, and everyone fell silent as they registered this new development.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd do something like this but…"

"...where and how did you even get that?" This time, the ones to finish each other's sentences were Ayano and Yui, as they both gave Kyoko looks of exasperation.

"Don't sweat the details." She placed a series of shot glasses on the table as well, with nine in total; before looking out over the others. "So? Who's in? And who's going to pus-chicken out?" For her credit, Kyoko did manage to correct herself at the last second.

Ayano, Yui, Himawari, and Chizuru exchanged uneasy glances at the thought of something like this when they were all underaged. Chinatsu and Sakurako lacked any such hesitations, agreeing pretty much immediately. Chitose made it clear that she'd prefer just to watch.

"Let's do it." As Akari spoke up, everyone looked at her in surprise. The vast majority of the girls still saw Akari as the most innocent member of their group, so they could hardly believe she would go along with this without even objecting.

"Kyoko-senpai…" Chinatsu shot her an icy glare, and even Kyoko couldn't help but shudder underneath that gaze. "You didn't by chance coerce Akari-chan into going along with this idea of yours did you?" Over the past few years, Chinatsu had gradually stopped using the frilly schoolgirl facade in favor of her true, short-tempered and crass personality; and the members of their group had gradually come to accept it, with the exception of Akari, who had accepted Chinatsu for who she was from the very start of their friendship.

"N-N-Not at all." Kyoko nervously stuttered as she moved closer to Yui, preparing to dive behind her in case Chinatsu decided she did do something.

"Chinatsu-chan, calm down." Akari stepped forward and placed a hand on Chinatsu's shoulder, trying to get the pinkette to calm down. "Kyoko-senpai didn't coerce me into anything. I decided to do this on my own." Even if she did end up taking a few shots here and there, it would be nice to unwind for a little bit.

"If you say so…" Chinatsu didn't look entirely convinced, but she wasn't going to doubt Akari. Back when they were in middle school, Chinatsu and Akari had been nearly the same height, but now Akari was noticeably taller than the pinkette; and Akari's curves were a full size larger.

Begrudgingly, nearly all of the others agreed. Normally, over half the group likely would've bowed out, but only Chitose and Chizuru decided not to participate; choosing instead to simply observe, which was probably for the best.

"But...doesn't the punishment aspect of this kinda defeat the purpose of the game?" Yui asked, as a beaming Kyoko prepared the chopsticks.

"Don't sweat the details, Yui." Kyoko answered without missing a beat as she held out her hands, offering the now marked chopsticks to the group. After everyone pulled one, a triumphant Kyoko held up a chopstick marked with a crown. "I'm the King first!" She filled each of the shot glasses to about half, before grinning at her group of friends. "The King's orders are absolute! Everyone has to take a shot, King included." Barely a second passed after she made her declaration before she picked up one of the glasses and downed it instantly, slamming the glass back down against the table, far more dramatically than was necessary.

"Why do you look like you've done that before?" Yui muttered under her breath as she took one of the shot glasses, reluctantly downing it with a bitter expression on her face. "Ugh."

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Ayano said as she tentatively took a sip before shaking her head and placing it back on the table. "No way."

"The King's orders are absolute, Ayano; and the penalty for disobeying the King…" Kyoko slipped her arms around Ayano, having expected her to react like this as she picked up Ayano's glass and poured it into her mouth, before pressing her lips against Ayano's; seperating a second later with yet another mischievous grin. "But if you want me to give you your penalty like this every time, I wouldn't mind."

"Ready?" Himawari and Sakurako had twined their arms together and downed their shots like newlyweds, both reacting with a bitter expression. "Together then."

"That didn't make it any less disgusting at all. We should've gone with how Ayano and Kyoko did it." Sakurako found it hard to believe people enjoyed doing this as she placed her glass back on the table.

"She really might die one of these days…" Yui muttered with concern in reaction to the heavy thump as Chitose collapsed, blood pouring from her nose as Chizuru caught her glasses before they could fall and hit the ground alongside her. Ever since Kyoko, Ayano, and Yui had started dating; Chitose's nose bleeds had reached an entirely new level, since it wasn't just her fantasies anymore.

"Akari-chan…" Chinatsu downed her glass without a second's hesitation, and similarly to Kyoko, her reaction implied this wasn't the first time she'd tried alcohol; but she was far more concerned with Akari. "...if you don't want to, you can always just choose to bow out of the game, you know?"

"I already said I decided to play on my own." Akari had a determined look on her face as she picked up the last shot glass and, before she could lose her nerve, downed the entire thing; her face almost instantly flushing a deep red, a bitter expression showing and then fading just as quickly as it appeared. "Next round!"

Even Kyoko seemed surprised as she looked at Akari, quickly pulling Yui aside. "Hey...doesn't Akari look a lot more present than usual?"

"Why would you word it in such a way that it makes it seem like she's usually daydreaming?" Yui let out an exasperated sigh as she stole a glance at Akari. "Still...I get what you're trying to say anyway. Her presence seems a lot stronger than it was a moment ago...it couldn't be…"

"Akari said next round!" Having gotten tired of waiting, Akari snatched the chopsticks and held them out for the group to take. Once everyone had one, Akari glanced down at her chopstick with a disappointed look, then did a double take before triumphantly leaping into the air with the chopstick clenched tightly in her fist. "Akari's the King!"

"After just a single shot..." Chinatsu muttered in disbelief. "...she's totally drunk, huh?"

"King Akari says Number 6 has to switch glasses with Number 1."

"That's not that bad, really…" Sakurako breathed a sigh of relief as she revealed herself to be Number 6, and switched glasses with a concerned looking Chinatsu, who was Number 1.

"Maybe not for a normal person, but the last time we played the King's Game, Akari-chan was incapable of doing anything even slightly mean. She gave commands like be my friend forever. If this is what she's like after a single shot…"

"We might have a problem if she has to take too many more…" Yui finished, taking note of the mischievous light in Kyoko's eyes. _She's definitely going to do everything she can to get Akari drunk._

"Next round!" Akari shouted yet again, holding out the chopsticks yet again.

"Hehehe, Sakurako-sama's the King!" Sakurako grinned as she glanced around the room, satisfied with the position of power, even as fleeting and pointless as it was. "Number 4, take off Number 3's skirt!"

"Akari's Number 3!" Akari shouted as she jumped to her feet, and Chinatsu faltered. After a few seconds, Chinatsu placed her own chopstick on the table as she spoke up.

"I'm Number 4...we're taking the penalty." A satisfied looking Kyoko poured their penalty glasses, and both Chinatsu and Akari downed it without a second's hesitation; but while Chinatsu still seemed perfectly sober, Akari looked as if she'd just finished two bottles, not two shots.

"Next round!" Even more fired up than before, Akari held out the chopsticks again.

"That makes me the King." Himawari held up the chopstick identifying her as the King as she looked over all of her friends, trying to guess their numbers. "Numbers 1, 3, and 5, take off your tops for the rest of the game."

"Akari's Number 1!" The redhead shouted cheerfully, easily demanding the most attention out of anyone in the room, in contrast to her usual lack of presence.

"I'm Number 3." Kyoko grinned as she looked around the others, waiting for Number 5 to decide whether they wanted to go through with it or take the penalty.

"I'm Number 5." Ayano muttered quietly as she looked down at the ground. She wanted to take the penalty, but she also wasn't sure it was the best idea for Akari to drink any more. "I'll go through with it." Originally, Kyoko had intended to take the penalty of any command that put her and Akari together, but given the intense glare Chinatsu was giving her; she decided it'd be a lot more fun to go through with this.

Kyoko and Akari had their respective tops off in no time, although Akari did struggle a bit with the buttons in her current state, revealing their contrasting (and surprising) fashion sense when it came to their underwear. Perhaps it wasn't actually all that surprising that Kyoko still wore bunny print bras, but nobody was expecting to see Akari wearing black and red lace. Even Kyoko seemed at a loss for words as she looked at Akari.

"Hurry up, Ayano-senpai. Stop staring and strip!" Unconcerned with all the eyes on her in her drunken state, Akari was simply trying to keep the game moving. It took Ayano quite a bit longer than it had Akari, but in her case, it was a matter of embarrassment; not her inability to handle buttons. Ayano's underwear was a simple black pair, without any pattern or extra flair. "Next round!"

"Maybe we should stop for the night…" Yui said as she comforted an embarrassed Ayano, glancing over at Akari with more than a little worry evident in her expression.

"Yui-senpai's right. Akari-chan's barely standing upright at this point." Chinatsu was quick to agree, worried for her friend in more ways than one. It wasn't like Akari to agree to this kind of thing in the first place, and there was no way that Chinatsu would've let her participate if she knew that Akari was such a lightweight.

"No way!" Despite their protests, Akari herself still wasn't satisfied, and unlike her usual passive attitude; she was anything but in her current state. It even seemed like she could sweep Kyoko along with whatever crazy idea she had, in contrast to how Kyoko was usually the one leading everyone else along. "We have to keep going. Even if nothing else, we have to do one last round."

"Fine. This is the last round then." As everyone grabbed one of the chopsticks offered by Akari, Kyoko paused before grasping her own, a mischievous smile touching her lips yet again.

"Since it's the last round let's do something special. For this last round, this is no longer The King's Game Super Penalty Edition; it's just The King's Game! Which means..."

"The King's Orders Are Absolute." Everyone said it in unison, making it clear that they consented to the new rule. Satisfied Kyoko took her chopstick, and then made a disappointed face.

"Hehehehe…" Akari grinned as she twirled the chopstick in her hand before tossing it into the air and somehow managing to catch it as it fell, showing off the crown marking her as the King. "Akari's the King once again."

"Was she imitating an anime there?"

"That's not important. Seriously, how did she catch that? She can't even stand still. She keeps swaying."

"King Akari demands…" As she spoke, Akari reached over to take the bottle from Kyoko, making sure the cork was firmly in place before she slammed it down in the middle of the group. "...whichever lovely little kitten the bottle lands on has to kiss the King."

"Did she really just say…"

"...lovely little kitten?" The group shared a moment of silence as they all collectively reached a certain decision.

"We can't ever let Akari-chan get this drunk again."

"We have to get Akari this drunk all the time!" Everyone but Kyoko said the exact same thing in perfect synchronization, with Kyoko reaching the opposite conclusion.

"The King's orders are absolute!" Unconcerned with the conversation the others were having, Akari shouted that once more as she spun the bottle, before stumbling back to watch it as if she were entranced.

The room seemed to fall silent as all nine of the girls (including Chitose, who had by now managed to recover) watched the bottle slowly come to a stop.


	2. Chapter 2: The Finale and the Aftermath

All of the excitement from the King's Game had long since died down, and all of the girls had managed to get to sleep, some entwined in one another's arms; some alone. The silence of the room was uninterrupted, aside from their breathing and the occasional word mumbled in their sleep. It was probably the quietest any room shared between any members of the Amusement Club had ever been, and yet all the same; Chinatsu wasn't any closer to falling asleep.

"Please...don't leave…" Chinatsu jerked upright at the sound of her best friend's voice, glancing over at her sleeping form. Earlier, Akari had been overflowing with confidence, and she'd seemed so bright; but now that she was asleep she looked so small, and she was tossing and turning as if she were in the middle of a nightmare.

"Akari-chan…" The pinkette considered it for a moment before moving closer to Akari, carefully moving so she was cradling Akari's head on her lap as she started to stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her down. To at least a certain degree, it seemed to work. Akari seemed to stop tossing and turning as frequently, and the tension within her body seemed to relax ever so slightly. For a minute, she couldn't help but smile as she looked down at the redhead's peaceful face, but all too soon she felt that same sickening feeling from earlier and the smile faded.

"I really am sorry…." Back when Chinatsu had turned down Akari's confession, she didn't find it necessary to correct Akari's assumption that she was still in love with Yui. Chinatsu had already come to terms with the fact that what she felt for Yui wasn't love during her second year of middle school, and had moved on by the beginning of her third year.

She had been in several relationships since then, but none of them were ever serious. She just didn't have anyone that she loved, so whatever relationships she found herself in were either to satisfy her curiosity or her desire. As much as she wish that she could return Akari's feelings, she didn't see her as anything more than just a friend.

Gradually, the silence of the room overtook everything else once again. Akari didn't cry out again, and Chinatsu was content to just remain like that, maybe even forever. Comforting Akari like she used to, back before everything had changed. Akari had said that Chinatsu could pretend it never happened, and they just could go back to the way things were before, but both girls had known better.

Akari's smiles became strained after that day. At first, Chinatsu was the only one who noticed. None of the others suspected anything was off, and any time Akari would start to zone out, she'd drive away any suspicions with the same smile as always; but Chinatsu had been able to tell that it wasn't the same instantly. She could tell that beneath it, Akari was in pain; but whenever she tried to bring it up, Akari would always insist that there was nothing wrong, and that Chinatsu had nothing to worry about.

That was easily the worst part. Knowing that despite the pain Akari was experiencing, she was still putting Chinatsu's feelings first. _I guess that's what it means to really be in love._

It feels like hours passed as Chinatsu continued to stroke the sleeping redhead's hair, but truthfully, it had probably only been about fifteen minutes before her hand finally came to a stop; memories that she would rather not think about overwhelming her thoughts. "You've always gone along with whatever stupid thing I wanted to do...even when you didn't want to."

Back when they were in middle school, Chinatsu didn't give much thought to the fact that when it came down to it, Akari couldn't really refuse Chinatsu anything. If the pinkette wanted something from her best friend, she could easily overwhelm her and force her into it. Just like she did when she stole Akari's first kiss with the excuse of practicing. She didn't give it much thought back then, but now it bothered her. It made her feel vile to think about the fact that she could force Akari into doing pretty much whatever she wanted, regardless of the fact that she had no intention of doing anything like that ever again.

"Chinatsu-chan...I love you…" The pinkette's thoughts were interrupted by soft mumbling from Akari as she shifted uncomfortably in her sleep, and Chinatsu froze as she glanced down to realize that Akari was crying. She hadn't even realized it was possible to cry while sleeping until just then.

"It really isn't fair Akari ended up falling in love with me." Chinatsu wiped away Akari's tears as she resumed stroking her hair, hoping to help the redhead relax, even as a bitter smile touched Chinatsu's lips. "She deserves so much better." At the very least, Akari deserved to have fallen in love with someone who could return her feelings. After all, she was always so kind and caring; and she was always doing everything she could to support everyone else. When it came down to it, Chinatsu wasn't sure if she could ever recall a time when Akari had put her own feelings first.

"But I suppose it can't really be helped. That's just the type of person she is." Chinatsu found her thoughts wandering back to the conclusion of the King's Game as the tension in Akari's body slowly seemed to relax.

* * *

The room seemed to fall silent as all nine of the girls watched the bottle slowly come to a stop, landing on the girl sat directly to the right of the King, Chinatsu. As if predicting what Chinatsu was about to say, Kyoko's eyes were shining as she spoke up first, not the least bit embarrassed to have her bunny print bra on display. "The King's orders…"

"...are absolute." Akari finished as she closed the distance between them, no sign of the usual embarrassment or hesitation she'd have in a situation like this if she were sober, pressing her chest against Chinatsu's as one of her hands came to rest on the small of the pinkette's back; as if to ensure she couldn't run away.

"Akari-chan?! W-wait!" Normally, even if Akari used every ounce of her strength, Chinatsu would've easily been able to slip out of her grasp; but something was different tonight. Physically, everything was the same as usual, but with that unfamiliar expression of Akari's inches away from her own face; she felt like a deer in headlights.

"Naughty little kittens who disobey the King…" Chinatsu shuddered as Akari pressed against her, Akari's breath brushing against Chinatsu's neck as she spoke in barely more than a whisper, directly into her ear. "...need to be punished." Chinatsu was all too aware of the fact that Akari still wasn't wearing a shirt, the black and red lace of her bra doing little to hide her breasts when they were pressed against one another like this.

The other seven girls were all uncharacteristically quiet, with even the always at maximum volume Kyoko shocked into silence by the normally passive Akari's display of aggression.

"Now stay still…" Akari pulled back ever so slightly, her gaze locked with Chinatsu's as she spoke again, the unfamiliar demanding tone to her voice keeping Chinatsu frozen in place. "...my lovely little kitten…" She wanted to turn away, but that unfamiliar predatory gaze in those all-to-familiar violet eyes kept her rooted firmly in place; and before she had a chance, she felt something warm against her lips.

Chinatsu felt her body tremble with desire as Akari forced their lips apart, Akari's tongue eagerly slipping into Chinatsu's mouth and twining itself around her partner's tongue. Just as Chinatsu was starting to wonder how she was still standing upright, Akari seemed to answer her by putting more strength into the hand on her back, reminding the pinkette that she was supporting her.

 _Ah. I'm returning the kiss._ At some point, she'd crossed the line from passive recipient to submissive participant, despite trying so desperately not to. She was fairly certain Akari wouldn't remember this in the morning, but on the off chance she did; she didn't want to give her the wrong idea. Even if she couldn't resist her physical desire, it still didn't change her feelings.

"Haa...haa..." After what felt like an opportunity, Akari finally pulled back, and a breathless Chinatsu slumped forward into Akari's arms; the redhead cradling the pinkette against her chest with surprising composure, that uncharacteristically confident smile now matched with a look of satisfaction as she gazed down at Chinatsu.

"Whoa…" Kyoko's eyes were sparkling, with an expression that made it clear she wanted to watch more.

"I feel like we just watched something we weren't supposed to…" Yui muttered as she averted her eyes from the pair, her face flushed bright red.

Ayano didn't comment on it one way or another, too busy trying to deal with Chitose and Chizuru; Chitose had started fantasizing halfway through the kiss, and after Ayano just barely caught her when she collapsed, Chizuru had been set off too.

"I don't know what's more surprising. That Akari's the dominant one…" Himawari started, a look of awe clear on her face.

"...or that Chinatsu's the submissive one." Sakurako finished, her eyes sparkling in a way similar to Kyoko's. "Wait, are they even…?"

"N-no!" Chinatsu finally seemed to realize that not only had all of their friends been watching that kiss; but that Akari still wasn't wearing a shirt, which meant she was cradling Chinatsu against her bra, while all of their friends looked on. "I just got caught up in the game!" It was hard to tell whose face was a brighter shade of red at this point; Chinatsu's from the embarrassment, or Akari's from the alcohol.

Chinatsu had spent the next hour trying to make sure everyone understand that they weren't together, and by the time she finally got the point across, Akari had already fallen asleep. She was always the first to bed whenever they had one of these gatherings, so it was no surprise that she'd be the first when she was the only one of them who had really gotten drunk.

* * *

"But…" Chinatsu glanced back down at the peaceful face of her best friend as the thoughts of the King's Game surfaced in her mind, unsure of something. She had always been the dominant one in all of the relationships she'd been in so far. It fit her personality better, and out of all of the partners she had in the past, she had always desired to be the one in charge.

Yet she had so naturally entrusted herself to Akari during the finale of the game, and it had felt so much better than anything she had ever done before. In the past, realizing she desired someone that badly would be enough for her to start a relationship with them, but it was different with Akari. Akari was important to her, and it was precisely because Akari was so important to her that she couldn't take advantage of her feelings to satisfy her own desires.

"Akari would probably be okay with it...but I would always feel like I was taking advantage of her...so I'll just have to deal with it." Even after returning to her own futon, Chinatsu still couldn't get to sleep. Whenever it felt like she was finally drifting off to sleep, she'd see that image flash in her mind again; that predatory gaze Akari had worn during the game's finale, and suddenly she would be wide awake.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

* * *

Akari leaned back against the door of her house with an exasperated sigh. The house was so quiet in comparison to the club room, even when everyone was there; but Akari had practically been living alone for the past six months now.

Her sister had started studying abroad, and both of her parents had gotten new jobs. On the days they did come home, it wasn't until so late that Akari was already asleep; and it wasn't uncommon for three or four days to pass without them returning home at all.

"Why did I lie...?" She spoke out loud, as if the house could provide her with an answer, but just as expected; she didn't get an answer. When she woke up, she was surprised she didn't have a hangover, because she could remember just how quickly she had gotten drunk; and she could also vividly remember every embarrassing thing she had done during the King's Game, but when Chinatsu had asked her if she remembered it, Akari claimed that she didn't.

She felt her face flush bright red as she slid down the door, burying her face in her knees as she thought back to the night before. "I can't believe I said _that_."

It was bad enough she had to take off her top when she had been wearing the black and red lace underwear she bought out of curiosity, but knowing that she had done something so embarrassing as to actually call everyone a lovely kitten…!

"I've never even told Onee-chan about that dream because of how embarrassing it is but I actually went and said it in real life…!" Akari was pretty sure that if she were anymore embarrassed, steam would start shooting out of her ears.

"And that's not even touching up on the finale…" She raised her head from her knees to lean against the door, staring up at the roof in silence. "...what was that?" She hadn't ever acted like that before, and she could never have imagined being so demanding would feel so satisfying. That helpless look on Chinatsu's face...just thinking about it made an unfamiliar feeling stir somewhere inside of Akari.

But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

"And the kiss…" She didn't want to think about that. It had made things all too clear to Akari. There hadn't been a hint of emotion to the kiss; just empty desire. Oddly enough, the realization that Chinatsu really didn't see her as anything more than a friend didn't hurt nearly as bad as she thought it would. After all, she already knew that much.

"Ah..." _I see._ "The reason these past four months hurt so badly was because I believed at least some small part of her had feelings for me. I was afraid to learn exactly this...but having actually learnt it..." It actually helped her relax. She felt a lot better than she had in a long while.

"Still though...I wonder what that feeling was…" Akari thought back to that helpless look on Chinatsu's face and felt her body quiver as she reached a certain conclusion. She pulled her cellphone out of her bag as she stood up and walked into the living room, scrolling through her contacts before making the call.

"Hey, Chinatsu-chan, are you free right now? If you are, can you come over?" Akari's voice was brighter than it had been in a long time, and Chinatsu was quick to agree, the same confident smile from the night before spreading across the redhead's face. "There's something I wanna talk about."

* * *

"Here you are." Akari placed the tea on the table as she stepped back into her room where Chinatsu was waiting, taking a seat opposite of the pinkette.

"Thank you." Chinatsu took a drink from the glass provided, letting out a relaxed sigh. "It's delicious as always."

"But still nothing special compared to yours. You _are_ the one who taught me how to make tea in the first place, after all." Considering how much time they spent in the tea club's room, it was a wonder that Yui and Kyoko had never displayed an interest in making tea.

"You're being too hard on yourself, Akari-chan. You've worked hard, so you should let your results speak for themselves." Chinatsu took another, longer drink, before placing the glass back on the table to look up at Akari. "But you said you had something you wanted to talk about, right?"

"Right." Akari suddenly seemed a bit nervous as she returned her own glass to the table. "This morning I...kinda lied when I said I didn't remember the events of the King's Game."

"Ah…" Chinatsu stiffened as she turned away from Akari, suddenly find it hard to meet her gaze. "Umm...exactly how much do you remember?"

"I remember everything." Chinatsu flinched as she turned back to see Akari leaning over her with a familiar look in her eyes; shrinking back from the suddenly imposing figure of her best friend.

"A-Akari-chan, w-wait." She barely managed to get the words out in time, Akari's uncharacteristically overwhelming presence nearly sweeping Chinatsu along at her pace. "I still ca-mmph?!" The tension in Chinatsu's body relaxed as what little will to resist she could muster started to falter, that overwhelming sense of weakness completely overtaking her as Akari silenced her with a kiss.

"Haa…" As Akari pulled back, some of the haze clouding Chinatsu cleared, but Akari spoke before she had a chance to. "I know. You don't love me, and because of that you can't return my feelings. But that's fine." Akari quickly retook the distance she'd only just provided, her voice little more than a whisper as she spoke directly into the pinkette's ear. "I just really want to see that helpless look on your face again." Chinatsu shuddered as she felt Akari's breath wash over her ear and down to her neck.

"I…" Chinatsu's voice was weak, her head spinning as she desperately tried to keep a hold of her senses. She so desperately wanted to go along with this. She wanted Akari to have her way with her more than anything else in the world, but...surely this was wrong. "...we can't. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Chinatsu-chan…" Akari did stop, but she didn't pull back completely; and as long as that predatory gaze was so clearly present in Akari's eyes, Chinatsu couldn't possibly muster the strength to push her off. Or more accurately, she couldn't possibly defy her. "If you really don't want this, I won't force you; but I told you, I remember everything."

"I could feel your desire in our kiss. You want me to have my way with you, to dominate you…" As she spoke, Akari accented each word with a kiss against Chinatsu's neck, each kiss lasting longer than the last. "...and I want nothing more than to do just that. We don't need to go on dates, we don't need to act all lovey dovey, and we don't need to tell anyone else. We can have a different type of relationship. A purely physical relationship."

"I…" It was so hard to think straight. She couldn't focus at all. "A-Akari-chan…I..."

"Ah, I'd nearly forgotten." Akari pulled back and Chinatsu felt her body quiver with desire under the weight of that gaze so filled with lust. "Since we're going to be in such a special relationship, you _will_ address me as Akari-sama when we're alone."

Chinatsu's last doubts and will to resist shattered with Akari's commanding tone, and she replied in a lust-laden tone, voicing her submission with her agreement. "Y-yes, Akari-sama..." She voiced her true desires, an overwhelming heat consuming her body. "Please have your way with me...dominate me..."

"With pleasure." Chinatsu was pretty sure that they'd crossed a line as Akari drew in for another kiss, but that concern only lasted for a second before Akari's tongue invaded her mouth for the second time in as many days; and this time she eagerly met it with her own.

* * *

 **A/N - The first two chapters focused pretty much solely on Chinatsu and Akari, but starting from the third chapter onwards, the story will start to spend just as much time focusing on the supporting characters, too.**


	3. Chapter 3: Love, Explosions, and Love

**A/N - For the convenience of the reader, Matsumoto's dialogue will be clearly visible as long as every character involved in the conversation can understand here. If at least one character is unable to understand Matsumoto, then just as with the anime, her dialogue will be translated through someone else.**

 **In regards to the rate of updates, there is no schedule. Whenever a new chapter is complete, it will be updated. Sometimes many chapters will be updated over just a few days, sometimes several days will pass without a chapter at all.**

* * *

"Ultimately, if you were wrong about Akari being upset about something, isn't that a good thing?" Kyoko spoke as she leaned back in her chair, twirling her pen with a disinterested look on her face. A month had passed since the Reformed Amusement Club had held the 'King's Game Special Punishment Edition!' and in that time, they hadn't done anything else exciting, so Kyoko was starting to reach the limit of her tolerance for having her ideas rejected.

Every meeting since then had focused on what they should do next; but that topic had been put on hold when the only members to attend today's meeting had been Kyoko, Yui, and Ayano. The topic they were actually focusing on, at Ayano's insistence, was Akari.

It went without saying that if Kyoko really believed something was wrong with Akari, she would be more invested in the conversation, but over the past month; Akari had seemed just as cheerful as their middle school days, if not even moreso.

"I do think Kyoko's being just a bit too indifferent about the issue, but you can't deny that she's been looking a lot better recently. It's possible that the issue bothering her has been resolved, which would make sense when you consider everything." Chinatsu had been staying over at her house pretty frequently over the past month, so there was little chance she would've been able to hide such an issue from someone living with her.

"I suppose you might have a point…" Ayano did not seem entirely convinced by Yui's theory, but at the same time, she couldn't think of any reason to deny it.

"If we have to talk about Akari…" A grin spread across Kyoko's face as the legs of her chair reconnected with the ground, and she leaned forward, seizing an opportunity. "...then we should talk about how she acts when she's drunk."

"This again…" Yui let out an exasperated sigh as she shook her head, and then stiffened at the sound of something exploding off in the distance. "I still find it hard to believe Nishigaki-sensei transferred schools when Matsumoto-senpai graduated."

"But did she transfer because she's the only one who can tell what Matsumoto-senpai's saying…" Ayano responded as she looked in the direction of the explosion. "...or because Matsumoto-senpai willingly lets Nishigaki-sensei experiment on her?"

"Buu…" Both girls had taken advantage of the distraction to ignore Kyoko's proposed topic, a fact that the blond was less than pleased about as she started pouting. "Don't just ignore your beautiful girlfriend!"

"Actually, since we're on that topic anyway…" Yui seemed to hesitate for a moment before deciding to continue that thought process, a serious look on her face. "...are things really okay like this? Most people don't really approve this type of thing."

"Maybe they don't, but that doesn't really matter, does it?" Ayano answered almost immediately as she walked over to wrap her arms around Yui, leaning forward until her head was resting on her shoulder. "I'd say something like as long as we have each other that's enough, but we don't just have each other."

"She's right." Kyoko was quick to nuzzle up to Yui's other side, wrapping her arms around her waist with a confident smirk, not in the last bit uncomfortable with the awkward position she'd put herself in. "Because in addition to having each other, we have our friends, all of whom are happy just as long as we're happy. Even Chizuru approves, albeit begrudgingly."

"I suppose you're both right." She smiled as she let out an exaggerated sigh, glancing between the two girls clinging to either side of her. "You two really have rubbed off on one another. Kyoko's actually saying something intelligent, and Ayano's being overly optimistic. Not that that's a bad thing."

Silence fell over the room, interrupted only by the soft sounds of the trio exchanging kisses.

* * *

The literature club's room was nearly empty, aside from a blond with a very frustrated look on her face, who let out an exasperated sigh as she leaned back in her chair; several pages of blank manuscript pages spread out on the desk in front of her. "It's no use. I accepted the position of club president when Matsumoto-senpai turned it down, but it really should be her."

"...I really might end up being the last member of the club at this rate." The current club president of the literature club, Amano Azumi, had done her best to try and gather new members when the new school year had started; but after two months, they hadn't gotten even a single application. "I guess I should count myself lucky for the time being."

The only other member aside from Azumi was Matsumoto Rise, but she spent most of her time being dragged along by the club's advisor, Nishigaki-sensei; so pretty much all the responsibilities of the club fell to Azumi.

"At this rate, I'll never finish this story in time for the competition." She fell silent as she looked over the awards lined up along the wall of the clubroom. The school had taken first place every year for the past three years, and Azumi had promised her graduating senpais that she would definitely take first place for the club.

"But it's been two months and I still haven't made any progress." She just didn't have the same level of talent or skill as her former senpais. Everything she wrote seemed so blandly mediocre. She was well aware of the fact that it wasn't a good idea to compare herself to the writers she practically idolized, but she just couldn't stop herself.

"That principal is even more stubborn than the principal from that middle school." The president of the literature club was interrupted from her thoughts as a dirty Nishigaki-sensei stepped through the clubroom door, followed closely by a dirty Matsumoto. "She just doesn't understand that explosions are necessary to invention."

"How long are you banned from the science lab this time?" Azumi asked with a hint of worry on her face. Nishigaki-sensei wasn't the type to stop blowing things up just because she was banned from the science lab, she just started blowing up the literature club's room instead.

"Two weeks." She wasted no time in opening the cabinet that she had a box of supplies stored in, taking it out and setting it on the teacher's desk as she started to set up what looked like a chemistry set. "And over such a little explosion, too."

"If that was your definition of a little explosion, what do you classify as a large explosion?" Azumi let out an exasperated sigh as she stood up and walked over to Matsumoto, pulling out a handkerchief as she started to brush off the soot clinging to her clothes. "Matsumoto-senpai, I understand that you don't mind participating in Nishigaki-sensei's experiments, but you should at least put more effort into cleaning up afterwards."

"..." _Thank you._ The soft-spoken girl's lips moved in response to Azumi's concern, who was one of the few people aside from Nishigaki-sensei that could actually understand Matsumoto. Additionally, she didn't resist as Azumi cleaned the last remnants of the explosion off of her clothes. When Azumi was satisfied, Matsumoto walked over to the teacher's desk to glance in the box with a look of curiosity, reaching inside to grab something.

"..." _Why do you have this?_ Her lips moved as she held up a photograph of four familiar looking children in the middle of a park.

"Hm?" Nishigaki-sensei paused what she was doing to glance at the photograph, a look of recognition spreading across her face. "Ah, I'd forgotten about that. Akaza-san gave it to me during her first year of middle school and asked me to dispose of it, but it seemed like such a waste, so I just kept it instead. I guess it ended up in my emergency supplies box when I transferred schools."

"..." _Why?_

"I don't know the exact details, but she was worried the picture might spark conflict in the Amusement Club."

"..." _Isn't it just a photo of the four of them from when they were younger?_

"That's all it is to us, but it's probably something more than that to them." As she spoke, she resumed her earlier motions as she lost interest in the photo, setting several flasks filled with chemicals down on the desk. "You could always ask them about it if you really wanted to. They're with the Manga Club now, right?"

"..." _They call it the Reformed Amusement Club. It's only officially recognized as the Manga Club._

"Now that you mention it, I think I've heard that name before; and the children in the photo kinda resemble some of the members of that club." Azumi spoke as she looked at the picture herself, shooting a curious glance at Matsumoto. "Are they friends of yours, Matsumoto-senpai?"

"..." _Most of them are probably closer to acquaintances than friends. Out of the group, Akari's the only one who can understand me. Ah, that's this one._ She pointed to the redhead in the photo.

Both girls were so focused on the photo that they weren't paying attention to Nishigaki-sensei as she poured a vial of pink liquid into a bubbling flask of an ominous purple liquid.

The second explosion to rock the building that day was much stronger than the first, and the three girls in the Reformed Amusement Club could swear it was much closer than the first, too.

* * *

Chizuru sat back in her chair as she glanced at the time displayed in the bottom right of the computer screen, not seeming all that bothered by the day's second explosion. The younger of the Ikeda twins had been looking at information for different universities for a while now, and she still couldn't make a decision.

The high school the group had ended up enrolling in was part of an escalator system. As long as you graduated from this high school, you'd be accepted into the neighboring university irregardless of your grades, but Chizuru had plenty of options that were a lot better with her grades. Normally it wouldn't be a hard decision to make.

"Nee-chan…" The pair had always been together, and Chizuru had always assumed that they'd always be together; but Chitose had already decided to follow through with the escalator system when she graduated two years from now. Most of the girls in their group had come to the same conclusion, not wanting to be seperated from one another.

Himawari and Sakurako had amazingly decided they were both aiming for one of the nation's top universities, something that was probably easily achievable for Himawari, yet basically impossible for Sakurako; but they were serious, with Sakurako's grades having seen a drastic increase in quality since they originally decided on their goal.

Chizuru was the only one who seemed to have trouble deciding, and she wasn't quite sure why she was having so much trouble with it. She always had every intention of following her sister to whichever university she attended, but now that she had to seriously think about it, she found herself hesitating. Was it really okay to decide something so important for a reason like that?

"It probably isn't…" Yet the others had so easily decided on it for exactly that reason. She actually kind of admired that they could be so confident about something they had decided on purely because they didn't want to be separated from one another. "Maybe the fact that I'm having so much trouble coming to a decision means I've already made my decision, but I just haven't accepted it yet."

She was pretty sure that was exactly what it was.

* * *

After Nishigaki-sensei's latest explosion, she had been dragged off to the principal's office by a very upset Azumi. Matsumoto had tried to tag along too, but Azumi hadn't let her, insisting that she needed to clean herself off first. Having finished cleaning up, she had started in the direction of the principal's office, only to come to a stop in the entrance to what should've been an empty classroom.

"..." _Akari?_ The redhead had been staring out the window of the classroom, but she turned to face Matsumoto as she spoke up.

"Ah, Matsumoto-senpai. It's been a little while since we last spoke, hasn't it?" Over the past three years, Matsumoto had not grown at all, so the height difference between her and Akari was nearly identical to the height difference between Matsumoto and Nishigaki-sensei.

"..." _Is something on your mind? Isn't your club in session right now?_ Matsumoto's lips moved, her voice practically inaudible, yet Akari had no problems understanding what she was saying.

"Matsumoto-senpai, have you ever been in love?" Akari asked the question with curiosity clear in her eyes, accompanied by something else; as if trying to decide something.

"..." _Secret._ If it were possible, her voice became even quieter as she evaded Akari's gaze, her cheeks flushed a bright red. She started to respond in kind before she seemed to realize something, slipping a hand into her uniform's pocket to take out a photo, glancing at it as if to confirm something. "..." _You're in love with Chinatsu-chan, right?_

"Eh...? Is it that obvious?!" For a moment she seemed to panic, before Matsumoto quickly shook her head and held out the photo.

"..." _Nana had this. It was only after you asked your question that I realized why you'd be so concerned about it. You weren't really worried about it causing a fight between the Amusement Club at all, were you? You were worried about Chinatsu-chan._ Akari seemed surprised to see that photo again after so long, a nostalgic smile on her face as she took it from Matsumoto.

"Yeah, I was. Although, thinking about it calmly, I was worried over nothing. Even if Kyoko and Yui had seen this photo, it wouldn't have changed anything." She tucked the photo away into one of her own pockets, turning back to look out the window, a complicated expression on her face. "I confessed a few months ago, but unfortunately she couldn't return my feelings. I was in a lot of pain for what feel like an incredibly long time, but recently...things have changed."

"..." _How?_

"There was a part of me that was in denial for all that time, but recently I talked with Chinatsu about it, and with her help I was able to accept it." She fell silent for a moment, considering her next words very carefully, before continuing. "But we both decided that we weren't exactly content with the way things were, either. We ended up in an...odd...relationship."

"..." _Odd? What does that mean?_

"I'm not comfortable discussing it in too much detail, and even if I were, I promised I'd keep it a secret. I'm only telling you because I trust you to keep a secret and I needed to get it off my chest." Again, she paused, taking another moment to carefully consider her next words. "Let's just say...it's been pleasantly agonizing in an entirely unexpected way."

It only seemed to last a fraction of a second, but an unfamiliar look flashed in Akari's eyes as she said that, and before Matsumoto was even aware of what she was doing; she had taken a step backwards, suddenly inexplicably afraid of the younger girl.

"It's not that I'm unhappy with the relationship we ended up in, but… _I want more_." Akari didn't notice as Matsumoto unconsciously took another step back, visibly trembling in response to that unfamiliar tone in the redhead's voice.

 _Has Akari always had this terrifying side to her?_ Matsumoto couldn't help but think as she looked up at the all-too-unfamiliar face of her friend.

"Ah…" All at once Akari seemed to realize that she was letting that side of her personality show. "I got carried away...I'm truly sorry!" Matsumoto seemed to relax as her friend started to act like the person Matsumoto had believed her to be.

 _After that...I have a pretty decent idea of just what she meant by an 'odd' relationship._ That was the only thought in Matsumoto's mind as Akari continued to apologize, despite Matsumoto's insistence that it wasn't necessary.

* * *

"Himawariiiiiiii, I don't understand!" Sakurako whined as she collapsed backwards, having finally reached her limit. "Why can't we just go to the escalator school with everyone else?!" Technically, since they were first years, they didn't really need to be all that worried about it right now either way; but if they really intended to go their first school of choice, Sakurako would never every last minute they had to improve her studying habits.

"Jeez." Himawari let out an exasperated sigh as she reached over to stroke Sakurako's hair, without a hint of the anger that she would've reacted with back in their time at middle school. "Weren't you the one who said the escalator school wasn't nearly good enough? I told you when I mentioned it before that we needed to start studying right away if you wanted to aim for a better school, but that the escalator school would be more than enough."

"But…!" Sakurako had a frustrated look on her face as she pulled away from Himawari, turning to stare at the wall as she mumbled something, just barely loud enough for Himawari to hear. "...I didn't want you to enroll in that school just because I was holding you back. You're intelligent enough to get accepted into your school of choice."

"If that's how you really feel, then we just have to keep studying. Even though it's exhausting, you can't just give up yet." Himawari slid closer to Sakurako, gently turning her so they were face to face as the blunette pressed her forehead against the blonde's, a soft smile on her face. "After all, I know you can do it when you try; and I believe in you."

"Dummy…" It came out in an even softer voice than before as Sakurako's cheeks flushed bright red, but she didn't pull away as Himawari closed the distance between them; the pair exchanging a quick kiss before Himawari pulled back.

"Now come on. We have to get through at least this much today." She waited for Sakurako to begrudgingly sit up again, before Himawari wrapped an arm around her and leaned over her shoulder to look at the problem she'd been struggling with. "Which part of the problem was causing you so much trouble?"

"This bit." Some of the tension in her body seemed to relax as she felt Himawari's warmth pressed against her, pointing out where she'd gotten lost in the calculations.

"You always have trouble with these." She let out a small sigh, but the smile on her face made it clear that she didn't really mind it. "First you have to stop making the same mistake here, alright? You're in the habit of getting too worked up whenever you see a decimal, and that causes you to make the same mistakes every time."

As the hours passed by, and they steadily started to make progress, Sakurako couldn't help but think back to their days in middle school, a small smile touching her lips. _She really is the best when it comes to teaching me._

* * *

"Thanks for agreeing to hear me out." Chinatsu shifted uncomfortably as she glanced around Chitose's living room. They'd never been particularly close, so this was probably the first time she was turning to her for advice.

"Honestly, it's no trouble. Any friend of Kyoko's is a friend of mine." Chitose smiled warmly as she sat across from Chinatsu. "But I must admit, I'm surprised. I think this is probably the first time we've hung out alone together." When Chitose wasn't with Ayano, she was with Chizuru; and Chinatsu was always hanging out with Akari, so they rarely even had an opportunity to hang out with another.

"Yeah. Usually when something's bothering me, I'd discuss it with Akari-sama but…" The pinkette trailed off as she looked away, seemingly unaware of her slip-up. Chitose didn't seem particularly surprised as she adjusted her glasses, her lips forming a knowing smirk.

"Akari...sama?"

"No I...I meant...I just…" Chinatsu's face flushed bright red as she stuttered to come up with an excuse, before ultimately deciding to fall silent as she looked down at the floor. After everything that had happened over the past month, even just thinking about Akari was enough for that feeling of absolute helplessness to completely overwhelm the pinkette.

Akari had _really_ gotten into her role as mistress, and she had done a fantastic job of teaching Chinatsu's body that it belonged to her and her alone. It had reached the point where Chinatsu couldn't possibly imagine herself with anyone other than Akari, and yet all the same, it was still purely physical. Chinatsu still didn't have any emotional feelings towards Akari.

It was almost like the universe was playing a cruel joke on Akari. Even when Chinatsu couldn't live without her, she still didn't feel that type of love for Akari.

"All teasing aside, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Since Yui, Kyoko, and Ayano had ended up in a relationship; Chitose had gotten a lot less selective with her fantasies. One of her nose bleeds could get set off by a fantasy involving anyone, and she had gotten into the habit of teasing people to lead them into situations that she could better fantasize over.

"Well...Akari-sama and I really are in that type of relationship." Having already slipped up, she continued to refer to Akari the way she would if they were in private.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"…No." She hesitated to say it at first, but it was clear her hesitation was out of embarrassment, not uncertainty. "The problem is that it isn't enough for Akari anymore." Chitose started to reach for her glasses, but Chinatsu grabbed her arm before she could reach the frames, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "Chitose, I'd really appreciate if you didn't do that right now."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." Chitose gave an apologetic smile as she lowered her hands. "But what do you mean when you say it isn't enough for Akari? You aren't enough to satisfy her?" Chitose looked surprise to see the expression on Chinatsu's face. "Whoa. Based on that scary look, I'm guessing that's not it."

"The relationship we have is strictly that a mistress and her sub, and anything outside of that is off limits. Those are the conditions we both agreed to when this relationship began." Chinatsu dug her nails into her palm as she looked down, forcing herself to speak the next words. "Because I'd already rejected Akari-sama's confession. I didn't love her that way, and I still don't. She accepted that and still proposed the relationship we're in now."

"So when you say it isn't enough for her anymore…"

"Exactly. She wants more." The pinkette paused to consider those words before shaking her head. "No, not just more, she wants everything; and she's gradually started pressing the issue more and more frequently. At least for now, she isn't really forcing the issue, but I can tell she's starting to lose her patience; and if she really insists..." Her face flushed bright red yet again, but she begrudgingly finished her thought process. "...I'm...incapable of saying no to Akari-sama."

"I think I understand. Although…" Chitose closed her eyes, thinking back to all the time she'd spent with Akari over the past few years. "...it really is hard to believe. Even I have trouble visualizing someone like Akari as a mistress. Given how passive she usually acts, it's much easier to imagine her as the sub. Especially given how aggressive _you_ usually are."

"You don't need to point it out…" She mumbled in embarrassment.

"But back to the initial issue, are you really that opposed to the idea of doing more with Akari?"

"I…" Chinatsu seemed to struggle with something, so Chitose spoke up again, interrupting her.

"The only reason you're hesitating is because you think it's not fair to Akari, right?"

"I don't know…"

"You aren't secretly in love with anyone else, are you?"

"Of course not."

"And you really do consent to the relationship the two of you have, right?"

"Right."

"Then isn't that enough?" Chinatsu finally looked up, surprised by what Chitose just said. "Maybe you can't return her feelings, but she knows that, and she still wants to do more with you. If you have another reason for being against it then that's one thing, but if your only reason is because it isn't fair to Akari, shouldn't Akari be the one to decide that?"

"I…"

"Let me put it another way." Chitose could tell that her words were starting to get through to Chinatsu. "Are you sure you're worried about being unfair to Akari? Isn't the truth that you're worried even after going on a date with her, you still won't fall in love with your mistress?"

"No! I'm worried that even after agreeing to a date...I still won't fall in love with my best friend. She's always worked so hard to support everyone else, always putting their feelings before her own, and she put up with so much all by herself. I want her to be happy because she's always done everything she can to make all of us happy. To make _me_ happy." Chinatsu felt something warm on her cheeks, and realized she had started crying at some point. "If we start to act like a couple...and I still feel nothing...then I'll have to accept the fact that I'll probably never…" The words got caught in her throat, and rather than trying to force it out, she fell silent.

"I suppose I've said everything I can. This is a decision you need to make for yourself, after all. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Chitose took off her glasses and finally allowed herself to view the fantasy Chinatsu had interrupted earlier.

Needless to say, Chinatsu was too busy ensuring Chitose didn't die of blood loss to reach a decision that day.

* * *

"Tomorrow's my first day at Nanamori High School…" A female figure spoke to herself as she stood in front of a mirror, holding up her uniform to take another look at it. It had taken her quite some time to get approval for all of the special treatment she needed, considering her condition, but everything had finally been approved.

Even with her 'sunlight sensitivity', she'd finally be able to attend school like anyone else. She smiled as she hung up her uniform, turning back to the now blank mirror with a hopeful smile.


	4. Chapter EX: Chinatsu's Decision

**A/N - The following chapter is a special short story taking place in between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Reading it is not necessary to continue the story, as this chapter focuses on a more _mature_ moment between Chinatsu and Akari. It's also probably the worst chapter in terms of quality so far, so my apologies. I struggle with these types of scenes.**

* * *

Thinking back to the way things had been a month ago, Chinatsu could scarcely believe the situation she found herself in now. Back then, her biggest fear was the knowledge that she could so easily overpower her best friend, and Akari would be helpless to resist. Now, the very idea seemed so absurd. Just a glance from Akari was enough to drain Chinatsu's strength, and when that commanding tone entered her mistress's voice, the concept of defiance never even crossed her mind.

"Yoshikawa-san." Chinatsu didn't even notice as the teacher called on her, too busy trying to ignore the building pleasure, before all at once she let out a sharp gasp as it got more intense, bringing her focus back to reality. She glanced up to meet the teacher's gaze, trying her best to regulate her breathing, as she spoke up in a weak voice.

"Y-yes…?" She got a few concerned glances from her fellow classmates, but the redhead sitting next to her didn't show any sign that she noticed anything wrong at all as her hand left the pocket of her uniform.

"Yoshikawa-san, are you feeling unwell?" Originally, she'd called on her with the intention of answering a question, but now she looked more worried than anything else.

"I'm f-fi-haa..." She let out an all too obviously sexual moan as the pleasure spiked again, but no one else seemed to recognize it for what it was.

"Sensei!" Her patience having apparently reached its limit, Akari adjusted the settings one last time as she raised her hand. "I'll take Yoshikawa-san to the infirmary."

"I'll leave it to you then, Akaza-san."

"Lean on me, _Chi_." _Not here..._ She nearly reached her limit right there. Being embraced by her mistress, surrounded in her scent, referred to by the name that only her mistress could use, and the vibrator that was now set to its maximum setting. _In front of everyone...I can't…_

At first, they didn't use toys or do anything this extreme, but at some point Akari had started to look into this type of relationship online, and after being exposed to all the internet had to offer, Akari's budding sadism had gone into full bloom. This had quickly become one of her favorite games, and as long as Chinatsu followed the rules, she couldn't say she didn't enjoy it; even if it was unbearably embarrassing.

None of their classmates seemed to suspect a thing as Akari led Chinatsu out of the classroom, although plenty of them shot the pair concerned glasses. Even with the support she got from leaning on Akari, she was still only just barely standing; making it seem like something really was wrong. _Stop...looking at me...I can't…_

Her body was trembling as she swallowed hard, desperately trying to hang on. _Akari-sama will punish me if I let someone else see me…and she still hasn't given me permission..._ Akari loved watching Chinatsu squirm in front of everyone else like this, but Akari had made it abundantly clear that Chinatsu was strictly forbidden from letting anyone other than Akari witness her climax.

"I really can't get enough…" Chinatsu's mind was in such a haze that she couldn't tell how long they'd been walking for, and she had no idea where they were going. All at once, Chinatsu felt something cool against her back as Akari's lips found their way to her neck, and she let out a soft groan of pleasure as she realized she'd been pushed back against a wall. "...of that helpless look you make when you're so desperately trying to hold back, _Chi_."

"A-Akari-sama…" Chinatsu's breath was ragged as she struggled to spit out a protest, the incessant vibrations making it impossible to focus. "...w-we can't...n-not in the hallway…" Ultimately, she couldn't really refuse Akari. If her mistress decided that she wanted to do this in the hallway, then they would go through with it in the hallway.

"Don't be ridiculous, _Chi_." Akari accented every word by pressing her lips against Chinatsu's neck, each of her kisses deeper than the last before she pulled back to lock her gaze with Chinatsu's, the younger girl shuddering under the weight of her mistress's gaze. "You belong to _me_. I would never do this where someone else might see it. Every part of you is _mine_." Chinatsu leaned forward, eagerly submitting to the kiss she knew was coming as she felt Akari's arms wrap around her, pulling Chinatsu's body off the wall and pressing it against her own.

Chinatsu's body stiffened as her lips were forced apart by Akari, eagerly swallowing the saliva provided by her mistress; and the tension building within her finally seemed to snap, Chinatsu letting out an ecstatic gasp as the kiss broke, a wet warmth trailing down her legs as her body slumped weakly in Akari's arms.

"What a naughty little kitten. I don't remember giving you permission to cum." Chinatsu felt her body quiver as Akari spoke in that familiar tone, desperately trying to catch her breath, unable to muster even an ounce of strength; or voice the terrifying realization she'd just made. _It's still..._

"You look like you wanna say something. Maybe about this?" Akari had a sadistic smile clear on her face as she held up the vibrator's remote with one hand, her other arm still supporting the trembling Chinatsu's body. "But...a naughty kitten who disobeys her master needs to be punished, and that look on your face…" Akari let loose an ecstatic sigh, a look of satisfied desire clearly visible in her eyes as she squeezed her legs together. "...excites me more than you could ever know."

In the end, Akari didn't turn the vibrator off until Chinatsu fainted from exhaustion.

* * *

Chinatsu stared out one of the windows of the infirmary in silence. After she fainted, Akari had taken care of the clean up and carried Chinatsu to the infirmary before heading back to class. When she first woke up she had checked the time, and considering the school day was ending in just a few minutes, she had decided it would be a waste to go back to class now.

Besides, she had something more important on her mind anyway. "I hadn't realized it until now, but there are still lines Akari isn't willing to cross. No, that isn't quite right. I've known it for weeks now, but I didn't want to accept it." Akari had done a lot with Chinatsu, but the most that Chinatsu hadn't really done anything with Akari. Even the kisses they shared were always initiated by Akari.

Every time Chinatsu tried to initiate anything, Akari always refused. Chinatsu hadn't given it much thought until now, because she was content just to enjoy their relationship, but when she gave it some thought; she was pretty sure she understood. "She doesn't let me do anything with her...because that would be crossing the line she established…" Because there was no way that Akari could keep her feelings separate from their relationship if she let Chinatsu kiss her, or if she let Chinatsu return the favor when they did something like what happened earlier.

"She always said that just watching me writhe in pleasure was enough for her. What a liar." She found herself thinking about the conversation she'd had with Chitose the other day, a small smile spreading across her lips as she reached a decision. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to agree to a few dates. Even if I don't end up falling for her, I know she'll do everything she can to make sure I enjoy it."

"That's just the type of idiot she is." Chinatsu couldn't help but feel as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "She never puts her own feelings first."


	5. Chapter 4: The Supernatural, The Promise

"Ahh…" Yui let out an exasperated sigh as she watched Kyoko peeking around the corner in a way that she probably _thought_ was stealthy. "I've really gotta stop just going along with these ideas of yours. You were just going by her classroom to see if Akari was attending the club today, so how did you end up stalking a transfer student?"

"I already told you, Akari was going to check on Chinatsu in the infirmary. Apparently, she collapsed from exhaustion earlier in the day, and Akari wanted to make sure she was alright. That's when I noticed the vampire!"

"Even if she is a vampire, which she isn't, because they aren't real; this is stalking. If you're really that curious, just go talk to her." The two girls got more than a few glances from the other students as they passed by.

"Talk to her?!" Kyoko had a look of exaggerated terror on her face as she glanced back at Yui. "What if she tries to drink my blood?! I'm sure a beautiful girl like me has delicious blood. She probably won't be able to hold resist my allure." Even Kyoko started to regret what she said when faced with the silent judgement of Yui's deadpan stare. "H-hey Yui, say something."

"I envy that Ayano is too busy with her duties as student council president to deal with this right now."

"How rude!"

"She isn't a vampire. There's no such thing. But even if she were, why would she ever drink your blood in broad daylight?"

Kyoko seemed to pause to seriously consider that, before she confidently replied, the look on her face seeming to imply it was the obvious conclusion. "Because she's an exhibitionist?"

"Oi. Don't decide something like that on your own." Yui looked genuinely annoyed for the first time in the past few months now. "You decided a girl with a garlic allergy was a vampire three months ago, and you kept harassing her until you proved she wasn't." Kyoko hadn't actually harassed her, but with how headstrong she could be, it could come off as harassment to those who weren't used to her personality.

"It wasn't harassment! And I apologized after I realized how much it bothered her." She had seemed to hesitate for a moment after Yui brought up that incident, but ultimately decided that this wasn't the same. "But this time I'm positive. She's definitely a vampire!"

"The fact that she has sunlight sensitivity doesn't make her a vampire." Kyoko hadn't been paying attention during homeroom, but their teacher had explained that if they noticed a student wearing a hooded cloak, that she was allowed to wear it because of her condition. "If you really need a reason to talk to her, why not invite her to join the club? I don't think any of the athletic clubs would recruit someone who needs a cloak and parasol to be out during the day."

"Nice idea! We can lure her in with the promise of manga, and then once she's gotten used to being a member of the club, we can prove that she's a vampire!"

"Give that a rest already, and actually now that you mention it, we haven't done any work on our latest project since April. The deadline's next month, the week before summer break begins. Do we really have the time to be stalking the new transfer student?"

"Hey, Yui, why's she taking so long to leave?" Kyoko either hadn't been paying attention to Yui, or she just chose to ignore it because she didn't want to face the problem.

"If I had to guess, I'd say she probably decided it was in her best interest to wait until the sun sets to start heading home." Yui was perfectly aware of how pointless it was to keep trying to push the issue when Kyoko clearly had no intention of addressing it, but she spoke up again anyway. "You always put it off until the very last minute, and then you always panic when you realize you're only just barely going to finish in time."

Despite her annoyance, Yui couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. After all, these stupid stunts of Kyoko's were ultimately what made her the person she was.

* * *

"I have to hand it to Nishigaki-sensei, if nothing else, she's really good at cleaning up." It was only just yesterday that she'd blown up the clubroom, yet despite that, it looked good as new. "Not that a clean clubroom is doing me any favors." Azumi's desk was still covered in blank sheets of manuscript paper as she gazed out the window to the courtyard below.

"I don't know if I'll be able to keep my promise to our senpais." Truthfully, Azumi knew that her issue with writing had nothing to do with a lack of skill or talent. Just like everything else in her life, writing had lost whatever joy it had once provided nine months ago. "At this rate, I'm not even sure I'll be able to keep our promise, Yuzu."

 _ **Eleven Months Ago**_

" _Don't even joke about that." Azumi had stiffened the moment Yuzu had broached the topic, her pen coming to a halt in the middle of the manuscript paper. "You'll be outta here and back to school by next year."_

" _Azumi, we both know if I was going to get any better, I would've started to show results by now. The doctors are hopeful since I haven't gotten any weaker yet, but that isn't enough." Azumi didn't need to face Yuzu to know the expression she had on her face._

" _How can you just give up now?" Azumi's voice was unusually small as she spoke up, and some part of her was aware of how selfish she was being, but the rest of her was just barely holding back tears. "I don't even want to think about what I'd do without you."_

" _Without me…?" Yuzu pretended to consider that, but she already knew her answer. "You've always been stronger than me. Even when I'm gone, I know you'll be fine. Our world holds so much beauty, and the loss of one person won't change that." The tone of her voice was one Azumi recognized all too well. She only ever used that tone of voice when she accepted reality. At least, that was the way she saw it._

" _You always do this. You'll fight to your last breath for anyone else, but when it's for your own sake…?" Azumi couldn't see it as anything other than giving up. "Anyway, you're wrong. You are so much stronger than I could ever hope to be, and the reason this world holds so much beauty is because you're in it."_

" _Don't be ridi-"_

" _I'm not!" Azumi cut Yuzu off, her voice rising as she felt this uncomfortable tightness in her chest. She forced herself to lower her voice, not wanting to disturb any of the patients in the neighboring rooms. "Before we met, the world I knew was ugly and uninspired, as if everything was grey; and then I met you. You were annoying, nosy, and you always dragged me along with whatever crazy stupid thing you were doing without giving me a choice in the matter; yet the next thing I knew, everything was so colorful, and the girl that had once been so infuriatingly annoying to me was so beautifully inspiring."_

" _Maybe you don't feel the same way, Yuzu, but for me; this world is so beautiful because_ you _are in it. I'd be broken without you. I wouldn't even be able to keep writing." Even what she'd written during today's visit wasn't up to her usual standards._

" _No."_

" _What do you-"_

" _I can't bear the thought of you never writing again. You love writing." Yuzu paused, but only for the briefest of moments. "Promise me something. No matter what happens, you'll keep writing. Even if...when I die, you will keep writing."_

" _On one condition. You can't give up. Don't just accept this as the way things had to go. Keep fighting until your very last breath, just like you'd do for anyone else." Yuzu let out an exasperated sigh, but couldn't hide her smile._

" _Then it's a promise."_

"What am I saying?" Azumi picked up her pen as she turned back to the blank sheets of manuscript paper. "Even if it didn't change anything in the end, she still kept her promise. So I have to keep mine." With renewed determination, her pen started racing along the blank sheet of paper.

Not even a full fifteen minutes passed before she tossed everything she had managed to write.

Determination alone wasn't quite enough to overcome her lack of inspiration, and silence fell over the room once again as the sound of pen on paper died out.

* * *

"Nanase-sensei?" Akari spoke up as she stepped into the infirmary, looking for the school nurse.

"She's not here. After she was sure I was okay, and there weren't any lasting effects of my 'exhaustion', she left in a hurry." Chinatsu replied, sitting upright in the bed closest to the window.

"Glad to see you've recovered." Akari seemed a bit relieved, having had a chance to relax during the afternoon classes. "I was a little worried I might've gone a bit too far after I had a chance to cool down." Even though she was a bit more aware of her desires, and a bit more active in pursuing them, Akari was still the same person at heart; which often led to her being worried she'd gone too far in the heat of the moment.

"I really am fine. I appreciate your concern, but I'm not made of glass." Chinatsu stood up, taking one of Akari's hand with a reassuring squeeze. "There's a reason I didn't use the safe words." Admittedly, earlier that afternoon, she had quite literally been rendered speechless by the overwhelming pleasure; but she didn't feel it necessary to point that out.

"I know that, I do, but knowing that isn't enough to stop me from worrying about it. You're..." _...the love of my life._ Akari swallowed the words before she had a chance to say them, reminding herself of the limits to their relationship. "...important to me. We should probably start heading to the club now, right?"

"Actually, there was something I wanted to talk about." Chinatsu grabbed ahold of Akari's wrist as she started to turn away, inexplicably upset as she noticed the redhead's last minute self correction. "I don't really know what love is. I mean, I haven't ever really experienced it before. So when you confessed to me…" Chinatsu hesitated, and as she tried to gather her thoughts, Akari spoke up.

"Chinatsu, it's okay, you don't have to explain."

"No! It isn't okay." The frustration added by the interruption seemed to have helped her gather her thoughts, at the very least. "I rejected you because I felt as if I had to. I believed that since I couldn't confidently return your feelings, it would be unfair to you if I accepted your confession. But I decided that I was wrong. It isn't my place to decide whether or not something is unfair to you." Chinatsu paused for another moment, but this time Akari didn't interrupt, knowing she had more to say.

"I can't say for sure that if we start dating, I'll fall in love with you; because I still don't know what love is. I don't have any idea how or if the relationship we have now can or should coexist with that type of relationship, but I know that you are the single most important person in my life, so I want to give this a shot; and I can't ever voice just how sorry I am that it took me five months to reach this conclusion."

"I don't care how long it took. You could've kept me waiting for five years, and I wouldn't be any less happy." For the first time, the pair were on equal standing as their lips locked together, sharing a much softer and sweeter kiss than ever before. Even as their lips separated, they didn't move away from one another, silently gazing into one another's eyes; until after what felt like an eternity, Akari broke the silence in a very soft voice. "Chinatsu, I love you."

"I know." The pinkette was inexplicably happy, considering some small part of her was having a minor panic attack. _I got caught up in the heat of the moment. I only meant to agree to going on a date with her, not to start going out with her._

Ultimately, she wasn't as concerned as she probably should've been. It was hard to be upset when Akari looked so happy, and even if that wasn't the case, Chinatsu was pretty sure everything would work out in the end.

* * *

Celeste's first day at Nanamori High School had gone better than she expected, largely because one of the teachers at this school was completely insane. Celeste had gotten a few odd glances when she entered the classroom, but as she learned later in the day, that wasn't anywhere near as weird as the teacher that was constantly causing explosions.

She still ended up being the last student in her classroom, having assured the class officer that she would be fine on her own. "The weather today really is awful." She let out an exasperated sigh as she glanced out the window on the opposite side of the room, not a cloud in sight. She had been the first to school, long before it was open and the sun had a chance to dawn, and she had similarly decided to wait to leave until well after sunset.

Now that the room was silent, she couldn't resist the exhaustion she'd been dealing with practically all day, sleep slowly starting to overwhelm her.

"Heya!" Just as sleep claimed Celeste, she was suddenly supernaturally alert, a blond girl wearing a second-year uniform leaning back in a chair pulled up in front of Celeste's desk.

"How did you…" Celeste knew that not even a full second after she'd fallen asleep this girl had suddenly been sitting in front of her. She couldn't have had time to move that chair there. "No, nevermind. Who are you?"

"You don't know?" The blond seemed surprised, before seeming to realize something with a heavy sigh. "You're a newborn. Right, I'll skip right to the good bit then. This little chat we're having? We're not really having it. I slipped into your dreams when I noticed you finally nodding off."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're a vampire, love. Don't waste time denying it, because I'm a sorcerer; and this form that I'm wearing..." She gestured over her body as she spoke. "...it's not really mine. It was taken from your subconscious memory, and the fact that you don't recognize it is how I know you've been a vampire for less than a year."

"...What do you want with me?"

"What do you think? A vampire shows up and enrolls at my school, I have to make sure she isn't going to cause problems for me. By the way, how fucking suicidal do you have to be to enroll in a school? You're immortal, love. You've got all of time to learn, why risk being reduced to ash every single day just to learn in this building?"

"I'm not going to cause any trouble. As for why I'm enrolled in this school? It has nothing to do with learning. As you pointed out, I can't remember anything from before my rebirth, and my patron believes that I have to regain those memories on my own; but she did tell me that my best chance of finding those memories was to enroll in this school." Celeste seemed to realize something, unsure of how she hadn't realized it until yet. "Are we speaking english? How are we speaking english?"

"English is my native language, so when I travel the dreamscape; I prefer to speak it over Japanese. As for how you can understand and speak it? Sorcerer." She made a little wave with her hand as she said that, before nodding as she considered what she'd just been told. "Vampires really do have it rough. In addition to all the stuff that the mythology gets right, the process of actually becoming one is so traumatizing they temporarily lose all memories of their past lives. Can't even remember their own names."

"It is more than a little...upsetting. Especially since I apparently wanted this." Celeste had a dark look on her face. "What could've possibly led me to want this?"

"Don't let it bother you too much, love. Whatever your reason was, it must've been important, and you'll remember it within time." Having said her piece, the blond girl stood up and started towards the door, pausing before she stepped through it. "Unless you start causing trouble, we probably won't meet again, and we almost certainly won't meet in real life."

"That's all you had to say?"

"I've confirmed you aren't a problem, threatened you with repercussions if you become one, and you might have a _slight_ problem in the waking world. Cheers, love." The dream started to unravel as the sorcerer girl waved goodbye, and a very groggy Celeste regained consciousness.

"Ah. She's awake." As Celeste looked up, she found herself face to face with a different blond girl in a second-year uniform; only this girl had the most satisfied look on her face that Celeste had ever seen, and standing next to her was a black haired girl who looked absolutely dumbfounded.

"Can I help you…?" In response, the blond girl pointed to her other hand, her eyes shining with excitement even as Celeste realized the hand in question was holding a mirror.

"What's it like to be a vampire?" Celeste felt an overwhelming sense of relief at the unexpected reaction. _I'm so glad the girl who figured it out is a total weirdo. If she started screaming like a normal person, I would've been in real trouble._

* * *

 **A/N - This is the first chapter giving the most focus to this story's OCs. Now that they're in the focus, I feel it's necessary to restate this. I do not own YuruYuri or any of the associated characters. The only characters in this story belonging to me are Azumi, Yuzu, and Celeste.**


	6. Chapter 5: Amusement and Selfishness

"My name is Celeste Winters. I look forward to our time together." Even as she finished her self introduction, she couldn't help but wonder exactly how things had come to this. Kyoko still had that look of absolute satisfaction clear on her face as she stood beside Celeste, holding a mirror in plain sight of the other members, to prove her earlier statement; with the other eight members of the club all assembled in the room, with wildly varying reactions.

"I don't know if I find it harder to believe vampires exist or that Kyoko was right." Ayano and Yui were standing off to the side, holding a conversation in hushed tones; unaware of the fact that Celeste's hearing was more than sharp enough to hear them clear as day.

"I actually had the exact same reaction. I only suggested she try the trick with the mirror because her original plan was to go find holy water, and 'accidentally' spill it on Celeste." According to what she'd been told on the way here, the three girls were apparently dating one another; but they didn't seem to think very highly of Kyoko.

"Himawari, Himawari; she's really a vampire! That's so cool!" Sakurako's reaction was exceptionally similar to Kyoko's, her own eyes sparkling with admiration as she gazed at Celeste. She wasn't sure if she was all that comfortable being admired for being a vampire.

"Calm down. Even if she is a vampire, she's a normal student like any of us." Himawari had a much more composed reaction, but she couldn't really hide the uncertainty that was so clearly visible in her eyes. Her gaze moved back to the mirror three or four times, as if to confirm that it wasn't some sort of trick or optical illusion.

"Hey, Kyoko-senpai. You didn't blackmail her into joining did you? Or did you just not tell her that we're only officially recognized as the Manga Club?" Chinatsu was only being half serious, but she was closer to the mark than she realized. Kyoko had promised not to reveal Celeste's secret to anyone other than her fellow club members, only to immediately suggest Celeste join the club. Kyoko simply thought it would be more fun for everyone to have the vampire join the club, but Celeste had (at least partially) perceived it as a veiled threat.

"Rude! Of course I told her that we were actually the Reformed Amusement Club, and I would never blackmail anyone other than Yui and Ayano." Temporary silence fell over the room as Kyoko found herself on the receiving end of glares from both of her girlfriends. Chinatsu shook her head, turning back to face Akari.

"What do you think about this?"

"I'm always happy to make new friends, and it's nice that the club has another member. As for the fact that she's a vampire..." She had no trouble believing it, she just didn't really know how she felt about it. "Well, as long as she doesn't try to drink anything of mine, I don't think the fact that she's a vampire is really all that important." Akari met Celeste's eyes as she said that, and despite the fact that her expression was the same warm smile as before, something in her eyes terrified Celeste; and every single one of the vampire's instincts told her never to cross Akari.

"I think I'd probably find it harder to believe, but we've experienced weirder in our own lives. I mean, I know that we all just sort of agreed we'd never speak of it again, but there were definitely some inconsistencies with time back when we were in middle school. We all know that school trip happened twice, yet we all just sort of ignore it." Chizuru had been speaking with Chitose about her thoughts on the issue, but about halfway through her sister's rant, Chitose had stopped paying attention to start fantasizing after Akari and Celeste's stare down.

"Ehehe…" Even as Chitose held her glasses away from her face, blood dripping from her nose, none of the others seemed to be all that concerned; aside from Akari, who offered her a box tissues.

"She really does get bloody noses when she removes her glasses..." So far, everything Kyoko told Celeste had turned out to be true, but she looked more than a little concerned as she looked at Chitose. "...isn't that a really big deal? There's no way that can be healthy." She was too busy worrying to let the blood bother her.

"I'm fine." Satisfied, Chitose replaced her glasses as she took the tissues from Akari, cleaning up. "It happens all the time. I actually start to feel dizzy if I go too long without a nose bleed." Chitose had meant to reassure Celeste, but the vampire only displayed more concern, unsure of how to feel about this.

"Now that first impressions are out of the way…" Chizuru stood up as she gathered her things. "...I have to head out for the day. I have a decision to make." Even as the other girls said their farewells, Celeste was focused pretty much solely on Akari, seeming to reach a certain conclusion.

"I think I'm starting to understand just what Kyoko meant about your presence." Celeste had thought it was odd that Kyoko had claimed her presence was weak. From the moment the vampire had stepped into the room, Akari's presence had been overwhelming; but it was only now that she seemed to understand it.

"What about what I said?"

"Akari's presence isn't weak. It's overwhelming. Or at the very least, it's overwhelming to _me_. I noticed it before when she introduced herself, and the fact that she's marked Chinatsu makes it all the more obvious; but her lack of presence is due to her overwhelming presence." She found herself faced with quite a few confused looks, but she was expecting that. "Let me put that another way. Akari's lack of presence is born from her predatory nature. She's not unlike a vampire in that respect; we _are_ predators, but we're indistinguishable from our prey. We look like you, and the predatory auras we give off can't be sensed by humans."

"I can kind of understand the logic behind that, but what was it that led you to reach this conclusion?" As Ayano spoke up, Sakurako and Kyoko were both still clearly trying to wrap their heads around just what that was supposed to mean.

"The terrifying glare Akari gave me during my introduction. Ignoring the fact that it's basically impossible for me to feed from Chinatsu, I genuinely believe Akari would kill me if I ever tried to."

"What do you mean by that?" Chinatsu herself spoke up, unsure how she felt about the idea that Celeste couldn't feed from her; concerned for a moment that something might be wrong with her.

"Usually, vampires mark prey they're particularly fond of, and it becomes impossible for any other vampire to feed off of someone who's been marked. I've never tried it myself, but from what I've been told; it's like trying to feed off of someone who's at the bottom of a lake of consecrated garlic. I had no idea it was even possible for a human to do it, but for all intents and purposes, Chinatsu's been marked by Akari." She hesitated with her next words, but decided to say them all the same. "Don't take this the wrong way, but the very idea of feeding from you; and by extension, Akari, is revolting."

"What do you mean when you say it extends to me?" Neither of the girls in question seemed to mind Celeste's choice of words, but Akari was more than a little curious.

"I mean that Chinatsu's practically drowning in your scent." The others all looked more than a little surprised at this revelation, turning to focus on Akari and Chinatsu.

"Oh ho? Does this mean what I think it does? Did the two of you finally start going out? And if you did, when was that?" There was a certain knowing grin on Kyoko's face as she voiced her thought process aloud.

"They're our friends, Kyoko. They don't need to tell us anything they don't want to, and even if they did, they can only answer one question at a time." Yui let out a rather exasperated sigh as she reminded Kyoko of the concept of restraint; with Ayano coiling her arms around her girlfriend from behind, resting her head on Kyoko's shoulder and speaking up shortly after Yui.

"I certainly agree with Yui. You don't need to tell us anything you don't want to, but at the very least, tell us this much; you two have started dating, correct?" Ayano tightened her grasp on Kyoko's form as she spoke up, enjoying the warmth provided by their contact.

"Well…" Akari hesitated as she glanced at Chinatsu, almost as if she were seeking confirmation from the younger girl.

"It really is surprising that you can still act this timid. Whenever you're in the mood, you get so aggressive you may as well be a different person." Chinatsu was purposely making it sound as if she were annoyed, but the expression on her face made it obvious that couldn't be further from the truth as she moved to stand at Akari's side, taking her hand and interlacing their fingers. "Yes. Akari and I have started dating."

"I knew it! Didn't I tell you, Himawari?" Sakurako was practically bouncing with excitement as she said this.

"Yes, yes; but why are you saying it like you're proving me wrong? I agreed with you. Anyone could tell Akari's in love with Chinatsu, it was practically written on her face; and that was _before_ she started getting all possessive." Himawari said this so bluntly that Akari was visibly shocked, having been under the impression that she was doing a decent job of hiding it.

"Was it really _that_ obvious?" As she posed the question, Akari's voice was just barely audible, the timid side of her personality still on full display.

"Himawari's right. Even without including your hyper possessive behavior over the past month, it's pretty obvious. Your gaze lingers whenever you look over Chinatsu, and when you think no one else is paying attention, you-" Chitose was cut off mid sentence as Akari clasped her hands over the other girl's mouth.

"I get it! You don't need to say anymore." Akari's face was flushed bright red, ensuring that Chitose had no intention of continuing her earlier thought process as the redhead released her, shying away from the spotlight.

"All teasing aside, and I know I speak for every single one of us when I say this, we're happy for you. Both of you." Yui wrapped her arms around Ayano from behind as she spoke, the three girls comfortable with their all too familiar chain embrace. It wasn't all that unusual for them to end up in this position, so they were used to it.

"It hasn't even been a full fifteen minutes since you learned that supernatural creatures exist and you've already moved on to the topic of romance." Celeste was having trouble accepting the fact that not one of the nine girls to discover the truth of her identity seemed to care about it. "I'm pretty sure normal people would panic if they found out something that shattered the foundation of everything they know."

"Ignoring Akari's menacing undertones, she had a point earlier. The fact that you just happen to be a vampire doesn't really change anything. You're just another girl." Kyoko paused to consider something, leaning back against both of her girlfriends before she spoke up again. "Actually, that's not quite right. You _are_ one of us now, and because of that, we don't really care if you have fangs and a taste for blood."

"Well, what do you know? Even Kyoko-senpai can make a good point every once in a while." Even Chinatsu seemed impressed by that, with Himawari speaking up after the pinkette.

"Admittedly, Kyoko-senpai's point would probably be a bit more meaningful if Celeste hadn't literally only just joined us, but she's right all the same."

"You really are all weirdos." Yet all the same, Celeste felt relieved, the hint of a smile noticeable in her expression. "Which is a pretty lucky break for me, all things considered. I can't remember anything that happened before I was reborn as a vampire, so for all intents and purposes, you all are the first friends I've ever made. Given the special circumstances my condition demands, I wasn't really expecting to make any friends."

"You mean the cloak and parasol? That's not that weird compared to Nishigaki-sensei. It's only thanks to Sakurako-sama's generous advice that she hasn't leveled the campus, after all."

"Really? Referring to yourself as Sakurako-sama?" Himawari's gaze was more than a little judgemental. "It's been awhile since you last did that."

"It's only because it's been so long that I thought I would give it another try." Sakurako flashed a cheeky grin as she rubbed the back of her head. "It's not terrible, but I definitely prefer the way it sounds coming from you."

"Ah, Mistress Akari's starting to have an influence on her." Kyoko only really meant it as a joke, but Sakurako genuinely seemed to consider it, prompting Himawari to speak up.

"Kyoko-senpai, could you please refrain from encouraging her?" Before Kyoko had a chance to respond, Himawari turned her attention back to Sakurako as she flicked her girlfriend in the forehead. "As for you, I've already said that we're definitely not doing that."

"Yea, but if I keep suggesting it you might change your mind." She didn't seem at all bothered by the flick, which made sense considering Himawari hadn't actually been trying to hurt the blond.

"Kyoko was a bit vague when I asked this question earlier, but what does this club actually do?"

"Most of the time, we pretty much just sorta hang out in the room; with everyone sort of doing their own thing. Occasionally, everyone will get dragged into an activity at Kyoko's suggestion." Chitose paused, feeling as if she were forgetting something important, before seeming to realize what it was. "We also very rarely do actually work on manga. Kyoko draws Mirakurun doujinshi, and nearly all of us assist her; since our club's continued existence relies on Kyoko's results."

"Nearly all? Why only nearly?"

"Well…" Ayano started to answer the vampire's question, only to hesitate as she glanced over at Chinatsu, who was still very much unaware of the fact that her art was nightmare fuel to everyone else. "...it's complicated."

Taking the hint, Celeste decided not to push the issue any further.

* * *

"..." _What are these blueprints for?_ Matsumoto was helping Nishigaki-sensei sort through the mess of failed experiments and scrapped materials that was her off-campus workshop. After she blew up the literature clubroom yesterday, Azumi had made it abundantly clear that even if she was the club advisor, she was forbidden from entering the clubroom for the duration of her ban from the science lab.

"Hm?" Turning to look at the blueprints in question, there was a surprised look on Nishigaki-sensei's face. "These are for a time machine, or at least they were supposed to be, but when I built it; all it really did was sort of cause time to jump back a bit, so I scrapped the idea. I thought the blueprints were destroyed when the device exploded, but I guess they didn't."

"..." _That sounds like a much bigger deal than you're giving it credit for._ The near silent girl had a point. After all, even flawed time travel was still time travel.

"Maybe, but it doesn't really matter." Nishigaki-sensei tossed the damaged remains of a machine into the pile of scrap. "Eventually, I had an idea on how I could not only improve the device, but get it working as intended; only when I rebuilt it, I couldn't even replicate the results of the original experiment."

"..." _Wait, that one year the second years went on their school trip twice; that was because of_ your _device?_ Matsumoto had spent a lot of time trying to convince herself that incident never really happened, despite the physical evidence of both the souvenirs.

"I can't answer with complete confidence, but it most likely was. After all, in addition to that trip happening twice; that particular year seemed unusually long." She paused to examine another one of her old devices, before adding it to the pile of stuff that wasn't scrap, yet. "So unless there was another reason for that little inconsistency with time, my device was probably responsible."

"..." _What if it was magic?_ The quiet girl was joking, and wasn't expecting the response she got.

"It is a possibility. After all, magic is nothing more than a force we can't comprehend with our current understanding of science."

"..." _Nana, you believe in magic?_

"A certain writer reached three conclusions in regards to science, which are considered laws. The first and second laws establish that nothing is impossible. The third establishes that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic; so I suppose I do believe in magic." She paused, hesitating as she considered what she felt she had to say next, before going through with it. "Matsumoto, we've talked about this before, you can't keep calling me Nana."

"..." _We have talked about it before, and I thought I made my feelings on the matter clear back then. I accepted that I'd have to wait because there was no way you could return the feelings of a middle schooler, and I accepted that you still couldn't return the feelings of a high schooler, and next year when you tell me you can't return the feelings of a university student, I'll still accept it._

"Matsumoto…"

"..." _Calling you by your first name is the only matter I've ever been selfish about before, and after being patient with you for so long, I deserve at_ least _that much._ Having apparently reached the limits of her tolerance, she stood up and shook her head as she turned to leave without another word.

"I know…" Nishigaki-sensei finally spoke up, long after Matsumoto was gone, letting out a rather frustrated sigh as she looked around the cluttered workshop. "She always just goes along with whatever I do, even when we both know it'll end with a bang. I'm all too aware of the fact that Matsumoto has been unbelievably patient with me." _But I can't possibly act on feelings of love for one of my students, even if I so desperately want to._

By the end of the day, the workshop didn't really look any cleaner than before.


	7. Author's Note

After consideration of the content written so far, and the content that has yet to be written; I've reached a certain conclusion. This story is much better suited to the MA rating, as opposed to the M rating. Additionally, the content so far is in many ways less than satisfactory.

For these reasons, this story will be discontinued on Fanfiction.

It will be re-imagined and then re-uploaded on another site.


End file.
